I was born in the south. I was raised in the north. I moved back to the south just in time to finish high school, and have lived here ever since. I like it here, and consider myself a southerner at this point, with no plans to leave.
But that doesn't mean that I'm fully to that "Southerner" point by all standards. And I had that illustrated by a simple fact that I never heard before, and it still seems more than a little odd to me.
Namely, it seems that there was--and possibly still is--a habit of putting peanuts in Coca-Cola. Let me say that again. Peanuts put in Coca-Cola.
Yeah, it doesn't matter how many times I say it or write it, it just sounds...wrong. I like peanuts. I don't dislike Coca-Cola (though there are many other better soft drinks out there, in my opinion). But the idea of the two of them together just seem horrible. And not in a small way, either.
My wife, who told me of this tradition, claims that it was so that the salt on the peanuts would keep the carbonation going longer, but wouldn't it be easier to just add salt? Peanuts don't just taste like salt; they have a distinct flavor of their own, and that flavor doesn't exactly scream Coke to me.
So, while this probably isn't a common tradition in the region anymore, it does make me realize that--even though the south is my home--I'm not really a southerner. In fact, I'm not a northerner, either. Or really, a midwesterner, being raised in Indiana. I'm just me, which is fine. I just happen to be happy living in the south, and I plan to be here for a long, long time. It's a great place, really.
Well, except for the pollen. But that was my rant from last year about this time. It still sucks, to be honest.
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4 comments:
Ummm, I have actually experienced peanuts in Coke before. I didn't find it quite the revolting sensation that you envision... Have you ever actually tried it before? You might be surprised.
Like I was telling you before, there are strange foods that go well together based on taste combinations. Heston Blumenhall pioneered this and turned me on to caviar and white chocolate. Sounds absurd, but it actually tastes good!! By the same token, basil and coffee will never go together, and you will only try it once.
So maybe peanuts and Coke is one of those strange combinations that actually works for some reason...
So, does that make me a Southerner, even though I haven't lived in the South since 1990 or lived in the USA since 1997?? Although I will always have roots back in ATL, I am too much of a nomad to be labelled that simply.
BTW, keep up the frequent updates!!
Cheers,
Mark E.
Tokyo
I've been in the South all my life, and I have never experienced peanuts 'n' Coke. It was never a part of my family's dietary habits, I guess--neither my immediate family nor my extended family. So while the habit seems more prevalent in the South, I don't know how widespread a Southern thing it actually is...
I've seen the peanut/coke thing for most of my life. There's a lady at my workplace who does it sometimes. I tried it when I was just a kid and didn't care for it.
Peanuts in Coke ROCKS!
BUT is must be a 12" Glass bottle of Coca-Cola. Nothing else will do.
It was a mainstay of my rural Georgia upbringing.
So, laugh if you must...
At least I didn't marry my cousin!
:-)
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